Stories of the Day

Truth to power! Click on over to watch the video. Lori Windham, attorney for Hobby Lobby, rocked it. “Hobby Lobby would love to stay out of this, and leave this decision to a woman and her doctor. It’s the federal government that told them that they had to be involved and cover these things, even though they violated the Green family’s faith.” Hobby Lobby attorney: We’d be thrilled to stay out of employees’ birth-control choices

Never let a good crisis go to waste. “The greatest problem we have is misinformation. People simply do not comprehend why and how the economic policies of the post-war era are imploding. This whole agenda of socialism has sold a Utopian idea that the State is there for the people yet it is run by lawyers following their own self-interest. The pensions created for those in government drive the cost of government up exponentially with time. The political forces blame the rich and this merely creates a class warfare with no resolution for the future. Even confiscating all the wealth of the so-called rich will not sustain the system. Consequently, we just have to crash and burn and start all over again. [Snip] The solutions from politics will always be the same – grab more power. We are in a downward spiral of liberty and how far we go down this path to the future will be determined by the people and if they at least wise up and see this is not class warfare, it is the people against government. This is why I say career politicians are dangerous for they can be bought way too easily as Clinton was to open the flood gates for the bankers. This is not going to end pretty. The question is when does society wake up? Just how high will this price be that we have to pay? They will blame the rich and the idiots will cheer – get them. What will happen when there is no more wealth to hunt? We end up with a communist state by default – no wealth, just career politicians who blame everyone but themselves.” ” Martin Armstrong Warns Civil Unrest Is Rising Everywhere: “This Won’t End Pretty”

Emphasis mine. “The algebra test is shockingly awful. The test resembles New York State’s pre-Common Core Algebra Regents test, but with some more advanced algebra concepts showing up. The main difference, as The Washington Post notes, is that the new Common Core test questions are rambling and confusing. They unnecessarily interject people into story problems (e.g., Caitlin, Pat, Keith, the Jamison family, etc.). They rely heavily on useless vocabulary terms. They also ambiguously ask test-takers to explain their answers.” New York’s Common Core-Aligned Standardized Tests Are PAINFULLY Stupid And Awful

Countering the Left

Go see it. “Dinesh D’Souza, the controversial social commentator who shook up Hollywood with the $33 million earned by the theatrical release of his Obama 2016, is back with a more polished and more powerful message. At one level, his message in America: Imagine a World Without Her is deeply pessimistic: “The American dream is shrinking because some of our leaders want it to shrink. Decline, in other words, has become a policy objective. And if this decline continues at the current pace, America as we know it will cease to exist. In effect, we will have committed national suicide.” But most people will leave the theater with a more optimistic conclusion: Much of the criticism of America taught in the nation’s schools is easily refuted, America is worth saving, and we have the tools to do so in our DNA, just waiting to be harnessed.” D’Souza’s America: Dinesh D’Souza takes on Obama, Hillary, Saul Alinsky, and Howard Zinn in a single bold film.

Elections

We must make this stop. “The Republican establishment, as it works with Democrats to overcome challenges from GOP and independent voters dissatisfied with the course of events in America, confirms that it is part of the ruling class responsible for those events, and that it intends to push America further along that course. By its campaign for Senator Thad Cochran in Mississippi’s senatorial primary, the GOP establishment removed all doubt about this. That ruling class consists of most elected office holders from both parties, of the great mass of government workers, of the public-sector labor unions, of the educational establishment and the media, of the major financial institutions, and of the army of lobbyists, consultants, and fixers who broker the spread of the trillions of dollars that flow through government. Its clients are the low-end clients who enable the machine in exchange for meager benefits. A significant part of this exchange is that such clients are also willing to answer affirmatively to appeals to identify themselves in opposition to their fellow Americans. The Democratic Party is the ruling class’s ruling element, and its voters are the bulk of the beneficiaries. The Republican Party’s leadership, its associated business associates and consultants, are the junior partners.” The Ruling Class Went Down to Mississippi

Keeping the power, at ANY cost. “The Republican Party has to stand for more than “just win, baby.” If you’re a Republican who went all out for Thad Cochran’s win last week, I hope you’re looking at yourself in the mirror and asking yourself whether Cochran’s victory was worth it. Because the price looks awfully steep – i.e., having a Republican candidate denounce the conservative positions of his opponent and a big chunk of the grassroots. Great, a 76-year-old who wanted to retire is now a favorite to return for a seventh term. Look, I get it, Chris McDaniel had more rough edges than sandpaper origami, and yes, there was always the likelihood that the Democrats would attempt to turn him into the Todd Akin of this cycle. But anytime a Republican tries to beat another Republican by adopting the rhetoric of the Democrats, they’re playing with fire.” Republicans Have to Stand for More Than ‘Just Win, Baby.’

The IRS

Living in liberal La La Land. “On Monday, the majority of a panel on MSNBC’s Morning Joe attempted to convince themselves of a flawed premise: that the public largely is not convinced that the scandal involving the IRS targeting conservative groups, misleading investigators, and then failing to produce evidence relating to that investigation because they had destroyed it, is that big of a deal. The panel went on to explore an equally flawed premise regarding why the public is not incandescent with rage over this evolving controversy. “People separate the IRS from big government,” Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson hoped in the form of an assertion. [Snip] This panel segment was a perfect window into the mentality that dominates the press today. The press is subject to a form of peer pressure which often takes the form of derision heaped upon those who are investigating stories inconvenient for the White House. It is a mechanism for enforcing consensus and it has worked spectacularly well. The public cares a great deal about the revelations coming out of the IRS. This morning’s panel represented the minority of those who do not.” MSNBC panel convinces themselves that no one cares about the IRS scandal

Just a reminder, as this seems to be the number one Leftist argument as to why the IRS scandal is no big deal. “Zero Tea Party conservative groups’ applications were approved for more than two years, as dozens of lefty groups were rubber-stamped. Yes, it seems as though the word “progressive” appeared on some of those ‘BOLO’ lists (see update below), but the screening and approval process went on as usual for those groups. Not so for the other side, against whom Beltway managers directed added scrutiny, onerous follow-up questionnaires, and interminable delays. Also bear in mind two other elements of the IRS scandal: The targeting of conservative donors, and the wildly improper (and illegal) leaking of conservative groups’ confidential donor lists to their political adversaries. When liberals can provide evidence that the IRS shipped, say, a private roster of Planned Parenthood’s donors to the Susan B. Anthony List, then we’ll talk.” No, ‘Progressive’ Groups Weren’t Targeted by the IRS Like Conservative Organizations Were

I will never understand the Left. “What exactly is it about socialism that attracts such illogical, undying, uncritical, and blind devotion—even in the face of overwhelming evidence this theory is utterly flawed? Or, is there some universal rule which dictates that intellectuals, Hollywood players and so-called journalists must be liberal, socialist, Marxist or communists? And, why does America create such waves of revulsion in these same liberals? Finally, why must these progressives do everything in their powers to obscure the agenda and acts of other Marxists, even those in high office harming the traditional interests of the US? In the absence of a better theory, one must deduct that in many important ways, leftism acts like a godless pseudo-religion, or cult. For it seems to have all of the burdens of a religious worldview, without any of the benefits. Most alarmingly, Marxism has been the single most destructive set of beliefs in world history.” Obama’s Treason & the Disgraceful Intellectuals Obscuring his Anti-American Mission

More unintended consequences, brought to you by our government. “Why has the labor market contracted so much and why does it remain depressed? Major subsidies and regulations intended to help the poor and unemployed were changed in more than a dozen ways—and although these policies were advertised as employment-expanding, the fact is that they reduced incentives for people to work and for businesses to hire. [Snip] All of these programs have in common that they, like taxes, reduce incentives to work and earn. The cornerstone of “The Redistribution Recession” is to quantify the sum total of these incentives and their changes over time. That’s what I call the marginal tax rate, by which I mean the extra taxes paid, and subsidies forgone, as the result of working. Waves of new programs increased the typical marginal tax rate from 40% to 48% in two years.” A Recovery Stymied by Redistribution: Public policy intended to make layoffs less painful actually made layoffs cheaper and more common.

President Obama

It’s not very reassuring to know that he’s our CIC for another two and one half years. “Global instability is on the rise and faith in America’s stabilizing presence is on the decline, and all we have from Washington are empty, millennial-friendly buzz phrases. “Leading from behind” was how one, too-clever-by-half administration official termed Obama’s global strategy. Hitting “singles” and “doubles” is Obama’s own, jocular assessment of his foreign policy. And now, “Don’t do stupid s—” is the mantra being repeated throughout the halls of the White House and State Department. “Don’t do anything at all” seems more apt a description of this administration’s approach.” OPINION: It’s now official: On foreign policy, Barack Obama is worse than Jimmy Carter: Obama is leaving America weaker on the world stage than Carter did.

War on Women

We need more of this. “The UP Project, which stands for “Unlocking Potential,” will seek to help Republicans win back the Senate by directly confronting Democrats and their “war on women” narrative. But unlike other super PACs, the UP Project will not do battle on TV. Instead, the PAC will solely focus on the ground game, organizing and mobilizing grassroots networks, especially of women, that can help Republicans win the messaging battle woman-to-woman and neighbor-to-neighbor. “We need to name and shame Democrats who play the ‘war on women’ game,” Fiorina told Breitbart News. “Too often, Republicans have allowed the label to stick because of a misguided theory that by ignoring a charge it just goes away…We need to organize strong conservative activists, especially women, and energize them to take action on behalf of our conservative principles. Women make up half this country. The UP Project is no longer going to allow Democrats to pretend we are single-issue voters.” CARLY FIORINA GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH DEMS’ ‘WAR ON WOMEN’ ATTACK WITH NEW PAC

We’ve got a terrific line up for our annual Christmas program. First up will be the Ignite Barbershop Quartet. Ignite began singing together after a quartet matching party in November 2015. They are all Champion members of Region 21’s Scottsdale Chorus and they will be singing for us!

After lunch, Congressional District 6 congressman, Representative David Schweikart, will talk to us about what’s happening in Washington DC, and provide us with a status of the Tax Bill working its way through the House of Representatives and Senate.

Finally, member Julia Graham will install our new 2018/2019 officers. We look forward to seeing you and be sure to bring a friend or two or three!